Where's Zane? Family hires P.I. to find dog stolen on Christmas Eve

Right now the family is offering $5,000 to anyone for the safe return of Zane. On top of that, the Parkers say a private investigator has also been hired to help with the case.

Author:
Matt Howerton

Published:
9:29 PM CST January 1, 2018

Updated:
9:29 PM CST January 1, 2018

DALLAS -- A family in the Lake Highlands area of Dallas is expanding its search for its beloved dog after he was taken during a home break-in on Christmas Eve.

The burglary happened at the home of Bonnie and Stuart Parker. Both said they were attending a Christmas Eve party and came home to find an estimated $10,000 in property stolen.

The Parkers say TVs, a laptop, jewelry, and some presents from under the tree were stolen. Bonnie Parker also makes homemade jewelry, and about 60 to 70 pieces were missing as well, she said.

But the thieves also took something irreplaceable -- the Parkers' 8-month old Shih Tzu, Zane.

Since the break-in, the family has been working with detectives with the Dallas Police Department to develop leads. They say they don't have any enemies, and added that no one has visited the home recently except for some maintenance workers.

Detectives have pulled fingerprints from the home, but no arrests have been made.

Yet, the Parkers say that they're getting support from across America and overseas via Facebook. One of their first posts about bringing Zane home has been shared over 12,000 times.

“I spend a good part of my day trying to say thank you to the people who are contacting us to tell us that they're praying for us,” Bonnie said.

“This morning I got a message from a woman in England saying she was thinking of us," she added.

The Parkers have spent a lot of their time putting up posters around their neighborhood. They can be seen on sign posts and in the windows of many businesses. They're even thinking about doing a Facebook Live event to spread the word even more.

Right now the family is offering $5,000 to anyone for the safe return of Zane. On top of that, the Parkers say a private investigator has also been hired to help with the case.

“We hired a guy to help us track down leads for us,” Stuart Parker said. “He's trying to find any of our stolen goods through online marketplaces.”

Some might find their efforts excessive, but Stuart and Bonnie don't see it that way at all.

“Yeah, it's just a dog, I understand that,” Stuart said. “But it's our dog. Can we pay a hundred thousand dollars? No. But can we really try hard to do what we can to get our dog back? Yeah, we can do that.”

Both told WFAA they'll continue putting up posters in hopes that Zane is returned.

“Somebody may have him, and not even realize that he was a part of someone's family,” Bonnie said. “And that family is desperate to get him back.”